ISLAND HOME

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Ferry had near miss

The ÄIsland Home' was in a near collision with the 80-foot charter fishing vessel 'Helen H' from Hyannis, on March 23, 2023, at 8.30 a.m. about midway through a route from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven. The fishing vessel came out of the fog and swerved off course before it would have collided with the ferry. The 'Helen H.' originally had a course that gave plenty of space between the 'Island Home', but the skipper changed direction within a short distance. The captain of the 'Island Home' was forced to stop the ferry abruptly. The 'Island Home' captain had to throttle down to allow for the sudden change in course of the other vessel, but it didn’t result in any intervention by the Coast Guard.

Crew member tested positive for COBID 19

On Nov 15, 2020, a crew member of the 'Island Home' tested positive for the virus. He last worked on the ferry on the watch that began with the 1:15 p.m. trip on Nov. 11, and ended with the vessel’s 12:45 p.m. arrival in Woods Hole on Nov. 12. Prior to reporting for work on Nov. 15, he reported experiencing flu-like symptoms and underwent a rapid test for COVID-19, the results of which were positive. He was unlikely to have any prolonged exposure with any member of the public during the work hours. The Authority started notifying vessel employees who were in close contact with the affected man and directing them to be tested for COVID-19. Those employees will not be allowed to return to work until after they receive a negative test result or are cleared to work by a medical professional. No operational changes or interruptions are anticipated as a result of this incident.

Ferry suffered generator breakdown

The "Island Home" has missed a morning sailing from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven on June 27, 2018, due to mechanical issues after an emergency diesel generator broke down. During a routine and required test of the emergency generator on board the ferry prior to its 10:45 a.m. trip from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven, a relay failed to perform as expected, and the emergency generator did not automatically activate. The relay required repair, so the passengers were removed from the "Island Home" and transferred onto the "Nantucket" for its 11:05 a.m. departure to Oak Bluffs. The "Sankaty" ran an extra trip, departing at 2 p.m. from Woods Hole and 3:15 p.m. from Vineyard Haven, to accommodate the vehicles that were unable to be loaded onto the "Island Home". The U.S. Coast Guard was allowing the "Island Home" to make its subsequent trips with both its primary generators activated to allow for a proper safety backup. Additionally, SSA personnel was stationed at the backup generator to manually activate it should it become necessary during the voyage. The "Island Home" made its 1:15 p.m. trip at about 2:30 p.m. from Woods Hole to Vineyard Haven,